“See, this is why I chew furniture” is my one of my favorite Coronavirus memes referring to quarantine life. The shelter in place order has certainly given me a glimpse of our five dogs’ daily lives. No wonder why they are so excited when we get home! As one can imagine, our dogs are loving the abundance of attention they receive these days.
Regardless of the quarantine, my favorite way to add nutrients and enrichment to the dogs’ diets is to regularly provide them with raw meaty and recreational bones as enrichment. Equally important to me is that the bones also act as doggie dental care by massaging the gums and scaling off tarter as the dogs gnaw away on them.
Before the shelter in place lifestyle, my world of working full-time while caring for two girls and five dogs made it highly unlikely that I would routinely brush our five dogs’ teeth. Because of my typically hectic days, I take steps to provide doggie dental care without having to solely rely on manual teeth brushing.
Most importantly, I feed our five dogs a raw, homemade meal using Dr. Harvey’s dehydrated base mixes, humanely raised proteins, healthy oils and supplements. My favorite oils include Dr. Harvey’s Health and Shine: Omega-3 and Health and Shine: Salmon and Krill, along with many of Dr. Harvey’s supplements. A fresh diet by itself helps keep dental tartar at bay. And for further dental care, I use Primal Pet Foods raw meaty bones and Raw Feeding Miami’s raw recreational bones.
What’s the difference between recreational and meaty? I’m glad you asked!
Primal Pet Foods raw meaty bones are meant to be completely consumed. These bones are considered soft bones and should not splinter, but as a precaution, they should ALWAYS be fed under supervision. Having said that, I don’t have any worries when I give our dogs Primal Pet Foods raw meaty bones. I feel it is unlikely that the bones will chip our dogs’ teeth, and I also do not have to take the raw meaty bone away from the dogs at the end of their chew. All of our dogs are shelter dogs, and without knowing their full history, it can be a little nerve wracking to take a bone away from a dog!
On the other hand, Raw Feeding Miami’s recreational bones are NOT to be completely consumed, and again, should ALWAYS be fed under supervision. Raw recreational bones are an excellent enrichment activity, as dogs have a natural inclination to chew, and this activity exercises their jaw muscles without having your furniture pay the price. Although, since these bones are not to be completely consumed, I must take them (carefully) away from our dogs, when I feel they have had a good dental cleaning.
More than ever we are aware of the importance of washing our hands, and when giving raw bones, taking the necessary sanitary precautions is just as important. I wear gloves when I handle the raw bones, and raw bones are definitely an outside activity. Depending on how messy the dogs are when they chew their bones, I either give them a complete bath outside with my favorite shampoo, Dr. Harvey’s Herbal Protection Shampoo, or simply wipe them down with Seventh Generation disinfectant wipes.
I give each of the dogs a raw bone one dog at a time, though. I close the dog door behind whomever’s turn it is to enjoy their bone in the yard. As you can imagine, the dogs certainly do not want to share their delicious bone treats. And we are especially grateful for the extra daylight this time of the year – we always have plenty of time to allow each dog it’s own little piece of meaty and recreational chew heaven!
I must admit, the down-time from the shelter in place order has allowed me to enjoy the important things in life – my children, my dogs, and oh yeah, my husband. I am truly grateful for my crazy busy turned crazy slower life.
Disclaimer:
After contacting Dr. Harvey’s to share the physical and mental health benefits that I witnessed after switching my dogs’ diets to Paradigm, Dr. Harvey’s has since given me free products from their lines of food, supplements, treats, and grooming essentials for my honest feedback. Dr. Harvey’s products are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.
Primal Pet Foods and Our Five Dogs have an informal relationship, and I receive free product, in order to give my honest feedback.
All opinions expressed about the aforementioned companies, in this and any other article I post may not represent the thoughts or opinions of the affiliated companies. In no way is this post or any other post intended to be a substitute for professional veterinarian advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Yes, I am a veterinarian, but I am not your pets’ veterinarian. Always seek the advice of your veterinarian with any questions you may have regarding the medical condition of your pet. Never disregard professional advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.
Dr. Julia Roach 